Samajwadi Party leader Akhilesh Yadav alleged that the Uttar Pradesh government has closed over 26,000 primary schools since 2017. He claims these closures disproportionately affect marginalized communities, citing a drop in total student enrollment and a significant rise in teacher vacancies across state-run institutions.
Samajwadi Party chief Akhilesh Yadav has raised serious allegations against the Uttar Pradesh government, claiming that more than 26,000 state-run primary schools have been shut down since the current administration took office in 2017. During a press conference in Lucknow, Yadav argued that these closures are hindering educational access for students from Backward, Dalit, and Minority communities.
Data on Declining Enrollment and Staffing
Yadav provided specific figures to support his claims, stating that the state had 1,13,938 government primary schools in early 2017. He alleged that this number has since decreased significantly, with districts like Lakhimpur Kheri, Sitapur, and Prayagraj reporting hundreds of closures. According to the data presented, student enrollment in these government institutions has fallen from approximately 1.17 crore in 2017 to roughly 89 lakh currently.
Beyond student numbers, Yadav highlighted a reduction in the workforce. He claimed the number of teachers has dropped from around 4 lakh to 3.40 lakh, with nearly 81,000 positions currently vacant. The opposition leader suggested that keeping these posts vacant may be a strategy to reduce budgetary spending and circumvent implementation of reservation policies.
Infrastructure Concerns and Legislative Action
The Samajwadi Party has also raised concerns regarding the facilities in schools that remain operational. Yadav noted that thousands of schools reportedly lack basic amenities, including electricity, functional toilets for girls, and safe drinking water. He specifically pointed out that nearly 23,000 primary schools currently do not offer computer education, which he argued limits the future prospects of students in these institutions.
The Samajwadi Party intends to make these issues a primary focus during the upcoming Monsoon Session of the Uttar Pradesh Assembly. Legislators plan to challenge the government on these education statistics, alongside other issues such as law and order and recent reports of paper leaks.
The next step for stakeholders and observers will be the formal response from the Uttar Pradesh government during the Assembly session, where officials are expected to provide their own data regarding school infrastructure, teacher recruitment, and the status of primary education in the state.